


I Want You Here With Me

by decorafeminae



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Interspecies Romance, M/M, Menstruation, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Sign Language, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21883498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/decorafeminae/pseuds/decorafeminae
Summary: The Domain has always been home, there’s never been a time he’s doubted the comfort it’s provided him his entire life. It stands as a silent promise to protect, to nurture, to welcome those who are within its sanctum. He wants to share his home with the one person who has enraptured him.
Relationships: Link/Prince Sidon
Comments: 7
Kudos: 224





	I Want You Here With Me

**Author's Note:**

> This has been clanging around in my head for at least half a year, and I was determined to finally finish it. It's been a long time since I've written any fanfiction, and this is the first time I've written Sidlink ever. I apologize if it's kind of all over the place.

Surging through the strong currents of the river at his absolute swiftest, Sidon couldn't contain the sheer, mind-numbing anxiety clouding his thoughts. The vice around his heart left him struggling for breath, his world was spinning viciously as if he were swimming straight down the eye of whirlpool. It was nauseating, his stomach was churning mercilessly as he powered on. As soon as he sensed it, he'd taken off at full speed, leaving behind the bewildered guards he'd only just finished dispatching a band of Lizalfos alongside. As head of the royal guard, Bazz had tried to follow the prince only to be left in his wake, watching his dorsal fin slicing through the water towards the Domain at breakneck speed.

The blood smelt stronger the further upriver he went, he swore he could taste it between his teeth. Link's blood. Fresh, hot, abundant. He feared the worst, the closer the two had become had only shown him the limitless depths of Link's recklessness. Without Mipha's grace to mend his broken body as it had for the greater part of two years, Link was more vulnerable than ever. The Champion was prone to picking fights that were entirely avoidable, even the threat of being trampled to death under the hooves of a Lynel four times his size never seemed to convince Link to back down from a challenge.

Then, he could see it. In the dimming light of dusk, he could see the streams of red washing past his face. Less than a hundred meters upstream he could see movement, the blood visibly following the current down the river from there. He urged himself further upstream, startling the schools of Hylian bass that had been investigating the dark wisps of blood. Sidon's vision tunneled and he catapulted himself up out of the water, landing on the bank with a thunderous, booming thud.

Kneeling on the edge of the river was Link, completely undressed, his hands submerged in the water. In them, the Hylian trousers he so commonly wore were held beneath the water's surface, a deep red stain was settled into the seat of the trousers. When Sidon's eyes flickered to his dearest friend, he could see stripes of red that had been running along his legs. Slipping down from between his thighs. Before he could restrain himself, Sidon had plucked the man up where he knelt, hoisting him high in the air to get a better look at Link's injuries. The man yelped in surprise, trying to escape Sidon's hold to no avail. He had never seen the Zora so frantic. His thin, vertical pupils had been blown so wide he could virtually see none of the gold he was so accustomed to. The fins on the underside of his forearms and his hips were flared outwards, his gills flapping erratically at his sides. Sidon looked positively feral.

Having dropped his trousers onto the riverbank when Sidon lifted him into the air, Link brought his hands up clumsily and attempted to ease Sidon out of his frenzy. He brought his right hand up in a fist with his palm facing towards his face, his pinky and thumb extended outwards as he tapped the knuckles to his chin twice. _'What's wrong?'_ he mouthed in time with the gesture.

"You're bleeding!" Sidon breathed, his voice strained. The words felt as though they were fighting to make their way out of his throat. Frantically he looked over Link's body. He couldn't see any blatant wounds between the man's legs, but the blood seemed to continue to gradually run down their contours. Thick, and darker than he'd ever seen. Overlooking the rest of the man's body to ensure that there were no other injuries, he was appalled by the number of scars that littered his body. They varied significantly, some appeared to be rather fresh while others had faded with age. His eyes flickered over Link's chest, briefly noting faint scars that followed the exact, circular shape of his areolas. As peculiar as he found them, they had long since healed and didn't require more of his attention.

Having taken notice of Sidon's eyes scrutinizing over his body brought a flare of color to Link's face, his eyes avoiding Sidon's as he attempted to free himself from his grasp with renewed persistence. He pounded on one Sidon's arms with a fist, not nearly hard enough to hurt a Zora, but enough to catch his attention. With trembling hands, Sidon hesitantly lowered Link to his feet. The man shifted uncomfortably where he stood, his hands carefully forming his words. _'It's nothing you need to worry about, Sidon. I'm fine, I'm just...'_ He paused, shaking his head, the hair he had tied back swishing behind him with the motion. _'I just need to clean it up.'_

"How can you possibly be alright? I could smell your blood and I... I thought that you were..." Sidon fell quiet. His eyes following Link as he seated himself on the edge of the river, easing slowly into the cold water where he began to scrub at the blood clinging to his skin. His ears were noticeably pinned back, the color contaminating the tapered tips matching that which saturated his cheeks. The Hylian stayed in the water for a while longer, briefly looking over his shoulder at the bewildered prince. His expression was calculated and practiced, perfectly unreadable to the untrained eye. But Sidon knew better. Link was evaluating Sidon's response.

He gathered the trousers in his hands, examining the stain worriedly. "My friend, are you absolutely certain you are unharmed?" Some of the blood had been washed out of the pants, which would explain the blood that'd been traveling downstream. Internal hemorrhaging was no laughing matter, with how much blood was in the water, he couldn't fathom how much could be pooling inside Link's abdominal cavity.

 _'I am certain,'_ Link signed, enunciating every movement of his hands. Sidon could feel the exasperation in his words, his body language speaking volumes his voice never could.

The prince stood silent, his fins beginning to relax at his sides, but his gills stuttered while he tried to calm himself. His eyes fixated upon the bloodied fabric in his hands. As a Zora, Sidon knew very little about Hylian customs in regards to clothing outside of the absolute basics. He had come to understand that Hylian physiology required more protection from the elements than that of the Zoras, their bodies had some capability in terms of acclimating to their surroundings, but Hylians cared little for being confined to the regions most suitable for their needs. Many ventured off to all the corners of Hyrule, requiring different attire to accommodate to the climate. Not to mention the matter of integrating any needs each individual may require.

Link climbed up the shallow bank of the river, pulling himself out of the water quietly. Sidon couldn't help but watch cautiously, his eyes trained at Link's thighs. The blood had been washed away, leaving no visible trace that it'd ever been there. He walked over to his belongings, rifling through the clothes he had stowed in his pack before pulling out a spare set of tights and a pair of hip-hugging undershorts. Sidon was surprised by the number of clothes that were stored in the pack, wondering how Link justified traveling with them all. Surely they had to weigh him down a fair amount.

Before redressing, Link dug through a pocket in his bag and pulled out a roll of gauze. He unwound a sizeable length and folded it in half, then in half again. With the gauze still in hand, Link stepped into the leg openings of his shorts and pulled them up. He slipped the folded gauze into the crotch and wiggled his hips as if checking that the gauze was positioned correctly.

When he turned to look at Sidon, the Zora stared at him. His mouth opened and he inhaled as if prepared to say something, perhaps question what it was that he'd just done, but only clicked shut again. Link's eyes flickered to his massive hands, noticing the nervous way his thumbs were running back-and-forth over his claws. His pupils had constricted but had yet to return to their usual size. Link let out a silent sigh and resumed dressing, feeling the weight of the prince's eyes on him. After he finished pulling the vibrant cerulean tunic over his head, he finally began to sign again. _'I suppose you have some questions.'_

It was an understatement, but Sidon nodded and murmured a soft "Yes."

_'How familiar are you with Hylian reproduction?'_

Sidon could feel his cheeks heating, his gills attempting to take in air but leaving him breathless out of the water. "I'm afraid very little. We, Zora, haven't had many travelers come through the Domain for the last century," he replied, trying his best to maintain a composed tone to his voice. "And even before Calamity Ganon's rise, we seldom had Hylians in our midst."

Link nodded his head and looked around, contemplating where to start. He bit the corner of his lips, bringing his hands up in front of him, carefully choosing his words as not to overwhelm the Zora with the complexity. _'That's understandable, I know only a little when it comes to Zora reproduction. For Hylians, those that produce eggs are capable of carrying fertilized eggs inside their bodies. When an egg goes unfertilized, it passes through the Hylian's body in a process called menstruation. During menstruation, the womb sheds its lining and is expelled out of the body, it's bloody and the bleeding lasts for several days.'_

When he paused, he could see the cogs in Sidon's heads spinning as he pieced together the information he'd just been given. "And that's what you were..."

 _'Cleaning up.'_ He finished. Link reached out and gently tugged his dirtied trousers out of Sidon's hand, rolling them up and tucking them under an arm. _'It's not always clear when it'll start, even keeping track of it doesn't guarantee that you'll be prepared for its eventual arrival. There's been a few times mine has passed me by, only to return the following month. Sometimes it's even hard to tell it has started until there's so much of it that it's going through anything, and everything, you're wearing.'_

His head tilted up and he met the golden gaze of his closest friend. If there was one thing Sidon was truly terrible at, it was hiding his thoughts and emotions. From the moment the Zora had somersaulted down from the tower at Inogo bridge, Link could easily see every emotion Sidon felt. The embarrassment written over his face elicited a small laugh from Link, the Zora's cheeks practically the same color as the thousands of crimson scales that covered the majority of his body. Seeing the smile that subtly tugged at the corners of the Hylian's lips drew out a shy smile on the Zora's face. His shoulders relaxed and he shot a glance at the river, watching the fading sunlight glittering on its surface. "Hylians give live birth, correct?" Sidon inquired, his head cocking slightly to the side, his tail idly swaying behind him.

 _'That is correct,'_ Link signed, nodding his head. _'Our eggs implant into the lining of the womb after fertilization. Then they grow inside the womb until reaching a stage of development in which they'd be able to survive in the outside world.'_ He stepped closer to Sidon's side, his own eyes aimed downriver. _'Zoras lay eggs, right?'_

There should have been no reason for Sidon to feel surprised by Link's recognition of Zora eggs. After all, Link had been a young man when Sidon, just a child, stood no higher than the Champion's hips. In addition to being more grown than Sidon, his relationship with his sister had been rather... profound. He vaguely remembered the way the two of them would disappear given the opportunity, Mipha taking the Hylian's hand in her own and leading him away from the Domain when the two of them thought no one was watching. It'd been bittersweet to present him with Mipha's final gift to him, the Zora armor she'd painstakingly crafted for him. Her proposal. He remembered the look in Link's eyes as he put on the armor only to be informed of its origin and the meaning behind its creation. The grief had clouded his sapphire eyes, the light dimming in them as he listened on. Even after dedicating remarkable time and effort to regain more of his memories, Link had regrettably limited recollections of the woman he'd loved, and Sidon could feel the shift in Link's mood when his relationship with Mipha came up in conversation.

Had things gone differently, Link would have become Sidon's brother-in-law were he to have accepted Mipha's gift.

Realizing he'd been quiet longer than would be anticipated, Sidon cleared his throat. "You're correct, my friend!" he hummed, his smile brightening. "Once a Zora egg is fertilized, they are transported to a specialized pool for incubating our young. After they've matured, they hatch from their eggs."

Link seemed satisfied with the answer, nodding his head and letting out a soft, thoughtful hum. He continued to watch the rippling water for a moment longer before tilting his head up, once again capturing Sidon's attention, and seizing the air from the Zora's lungs.

 _'I'm sorry, I had been meaning to visit sooner. Between helping rebuild the castle and escorting Zelda across Hyrule, I haven't exactly been able to find the time,'_ he signed, his smile apologetic.

The tip of Sidon's headtail flickered excitedly, practically vibrating in place as his heart thrummed deep in his chest. "No apologies necessary, my dearest friend! It's always an honor to have you visit! I must confess I've missed you, but I am always thrilled when you come to the Domain."

For a moment Link looked taken aback, staring up with a befuddled expression. Sidon had realized over time that his enthusiasm often overwhelmed Hylians who were surprisingly more reserved than he would have imagined. He thanked Hylia that while Link had acknowledged how easily he got swept up in his zealousness, it never drove him away. Even when he would abandon his inhibitions upon the Champion's arrival in the Domain, so delighted to see his dearest friend and so caught up in his elation that he'd quite literally sweep Link off his feet before crushing him in a tremendous hug. Instead, the Hylian took it with immeasurable grace, securing his arms firmly around his neck and hugging him as hard as he dared.

A subtle shade of pink touched his cheeks and his expression melted into a heartfelt smile. Link moved his lips, his voice absent, but his words clear. _'I've missed you, too.'_

Before Sidon could speak again, the Hylian's ears twitched and his head snapped to the side, hands quickly drawing out his bow and nocking an arrow. When a figure hurled itself out of the water, Link pulled the bowstring back, getting an aim on the indistinguishable shade approaching them. Having keener eyesight than that of any Hylian, Sidon was able to recognize the figure in the twilight. He cupped Link's shoulder, indicating that there was no danger. Link cautiously lowered his bow, his neck craning to glance up at him questioningly, eventually turning to face the figure drawing nearer. Following behind it were shades of similar build, keeping a steady pace with the one in the lead.

"Your Highness!" Bazz called, his voice balancing between exasperated and relieved. His dark tail flicking droplets of water behind him as he approached the two of them, eyes drifting from Sidon to Link before addressing the heir to the Zora throne again. "We were concerned when you began charging upstream without any explanation as to what was the matter." Trailing after Bazz were members of the Zora royal guard, their expressions dropping their stoicism upon seeing Link.

Sidon's tail curled in on itself a little, the caudal fin at the end brushing up against his back as he dipped his head sheepishly. "I apologize, I recognize that in the event of an emergency, leaving you in the dark wouldn't be advisable," he admitted .

Bazz lightly shook his head side to side, lips in a straight line in an attempt to keep a laugh from escaping. He readjusted his grip on his spear, glancing to the Zoras that were blithely chatting with the Hylian. Torfeau was informing the Champion that she'd been vigorously training to take on a Hinox someday, determined to take one down as he had. And Tottika was ruffling golden tresses and insisting that after Link had miscalculated his landing last time he visited that he'd been too embarrassed to show his face in the Domain, earning himself a playful punch to the ribs. The Captain of the Guards cleared his throat, meeting Sidon's gaze again. "The guards and I will go ahead to the Domain," he announced, taking a few steps towards his lieutenants. "Will you be accompanying us or shall we see you there?"

"I believe we shall be alright. If there's any trouble, Link and I will be able to defend ourselves," Sidon assured the shorter Zora. An all-too-knowing grin pulled across Bazz's face, eyes flashing to Link who happened to be looking over at them. He cocked an eyebrow, unsure as to why Bazz was eyeing him in such a peculiar fashion. The onyx Zora strode around them smugly before leading the guards up the winding path to the Domain. He wasn't the only one with a discerning smile on, as she passed Torfeau briefly bumped her hip against Link's and contorted her face in a fashion one could only liken to the wagging of one's eyebrows.

Upon their departure, Link bent down and began gathering his belongings. With everything in place and his Sheikah slate once again fastened into its holster, he brought his hands up in front of him once more, _'Shall we get going?'_

"Of course my friend! I thought perhaps we'd take the quicker route home, you deserve to rest after traveling across all of Hyrule as you so frequently do." He paused, delicately taking Link's significantly smaller hand in one of his, leading the man closer to the river. He stepped into the water first, lowering himself down until he was able to present his back to Link.

Before mounting his back, Link grasped his slate, his finger flicking over the screen. "What are you--?" Sidon started, only to fall silent when the man's body was encased in a brilliant blue light. Thin tendrils grew in number, swirling around him rapidly until they began to unravel, revealing a change of clothes. Sidon's heart swelled, instantly recognizing the Zora armor he'd presented Link with on behalf of his fallen sister. It hugged his sculpted frame, how Mipha had been able to perfectly craft it to fit his every curve without garnering Link's attention absolutely amazed him. Although, perhaps he shouldn't be too surprised that Link hadn't caught onto what she'd been working on. Even now, the hero seemed oblivious to his attempts to impress him, hard as he tried. Or perhaps he needed to be more candid about his desires.

The Champion calmly approached him, bracing his hands against the center of his back between the prince's shoulder blades before kicking off the riverbed, throwing one leg over him and settling himself down. It'd been a long time since they'd last traveled this way, Sidon was truly thankful this time they wouldn't be doing their best to outrun Vah Ruta's assault. This time they could enjoy it, and that is exactly what he intended to do. "Hold on!" he called over his shoulder to the Hylian. He lunged forward, muscular legs quickly building speed. The secure grip of small hands on his shoulders, accompanied by firm pressure squeezing on either side of his abdomen, assured him that the Hylian wasn't going to budge. Even taking the smaller man up waterfalls that rushed down on them with compelling strength couldn't loosen his hold.

Following their ascension up their last of the waterfall, they leisurely drifted through the lower level of Zora's Domain. The familiar glow of the luminous stones bathing them in a soothing verdigris light, the river sparkling with its radiance. Link's hands lessened their hold on his shoulders and his legs relaxed at his sides. His thumbs idly brushed back and forth over Sidon's scales, an action that effortlessly caught the prince's attention. A languid metronome swinging back and forth, lightly scraping the scales each time he went against the lay of them. Sidon hummed softly, daring to look over his shoulder once more, happening to catch Link's gaze. Snapping out of a daze, Link's hands stilled and his eyes locked with the man beneath him. Unable to suppress the smile fighting his lips, the Hylian choose to look elsewhere.

They laxly drifted to the narrow strips of luminous stone that made up the base of the Domain. A large red arm reached behind, encircling Link's waist as Sidon hoisted himself out of the water onto the smooth, intricate tiles. Kneeling, he ensured Link had found his footing before he rose back to his full height, peering down at the man beside him. His shoulders sagged and he took a deep breath in, inhaling the moist clean air. Link had once told Sidon that his visits to the Domain were the only thing that lulled him into a sense of tranquility. That he could feel himself truly relax in its midst. It'd been a confession that brought Sidon great pride in his kingdom. And greater joy whenever Link would grace them with his presence.

When his visits would stretch on for days, he would stay in the local inn. Being the childhood friend and romantic interest of Kodah, Link had always been offered a generous discount by her and her husband when he would patronize their cozy lodgings, but he had remained adamant about paying a fair price for their services. There'd be times in which Sidon had contemplated inviting Link to spend his visit in the palace, many of the bedrooms lay uninhabited and wouldn't be too troublesome to outfit to be more suited to a Hylian guest. And what better a way could he attend to any needs Link could possibly have than if he could make a simple trip down the hall?

Taking a deep breath in, he released his inhibitions and spoke softly to the man beside him. "You know... we could always arrange for you to have one of the rooms here in the palace. I wish to show you how grateful I am to have you here, I want to make the Domain someplace you can call home between your travels, my friend. I want this to be somewhere you look forward to returning to, I want you to be happy here like I am with you around."

Link's head turned up in his direction with an expression he'd never seen grace his features before; his azure eyes were gleaming, a blush had tinted his cheeks a rosy red, his lips were parted slightly as if he were about to speak. The Zora Prince cleared his throat, his eyes quick to break away as a blush spread across his own face, "If you'd like, that is. It's really the least we could do to thank you for all you've done for us. We're always pleased to have you--"

A gentle tap to his arm caught his attention, his golden eyes meeting with Link's once more. A keen smile was pulling at the man's lips as he began signing, _'You don't need to offer me a room to persuade me to visit you more, Sidon.'_

What had started as a faint flush to his cheeks had quickly dissolved into a flood accompanied by an intense heat that spread across his entire face. He could feel a tugging around his neck, realizing that Link had hooked his fingers on his choker and was pulling him down closer to his level until he knelt before the Hylian. Link encouraged him to come closer, only releasing the silver from between his fingers when he was able to cup Sidon's face between his calloused palms. They were warm against his skin and he closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. The Hylian pressed his forehead against the underside of Sidon's crest, sending a surge of electricity through the Prince's body. Sidon shivered, his hands gingerly finding purchase on Link's hips. He let out a shaky sigh when Link tilted his head and pressed his lips to the patch of pink scales between Sidon's eyes.

When he felt the warm hands that had been cupping his face pull away, he slowly opened his eyes.

 _'You aren't as subtle as you think,'_ Link signed with the hint of a playful expression on his face. _'I've been waiting for you to make your move, any move, but I'll admit I didn't anticipate for today to be the day.'_

A soft laugh escaped Sidon's lips, his face still flushed. "I suppose I should have known that I wasn't being as discreet as I would have liked." He ran his thumbs delicately over the curve of Link's sides, feeling the stifled tremors that coursed through his smaller body. "I've been wanting to say something for so long, I would have liked it to do something grander to express my affection for you."

 _'I find the intimacy of this to be more comfortable,'_ Link replied earnestly with a softness in his eyes. _'It feels more natural, more honest.'_

Sidon smiled down at the Hylian, bringing one of his hands up to tuck a few wild strands of hair back behind Link's pointed ear. He adored the color that had spread to the tips of his ears, mirroring the shade on his face. His eyes flashed towards the man's soft pink lips and wondered if they would feel as wonderful against his lips as they had against his scales. Delicately he curled his fingers along the underside of Link's jaw, tilting the Champion's head up towards him. "Can I kiss you?" he whispered.

Link wrapped a hand around his wrist, holding Sidon's hand in place, nodding his head eagerly. Fervently he met Sidon halfway, standing on the tips of his toes to bring himself closer to the Zora that effortlessly towered over him. The chaste kiss Sidon pressed to Link's lips was drowned by the entrancing ferocity the Hylian embedded into it. Virtually intoxicated by the sweetness of the man's mouth, Sidon struggled to reign himself in, wanting nothing more than to meld with the smaller man. When he inevitably pulled away to take fresh air into his lungs, Link pressed his face flush with Sidon's once more, his warm breath soothing on his scales.

"I want you to stay here," he murmured.

He could the vibrations when Link hummed softly, Sidon didn't need to ask what the sound meant. He knew Link could never stay in just one place. When confined, he floundered. Having the freedom to roam across all of Hyrule as he accompanied Zelda gave Link the taste of the wild he no longer had the time to explore, invigorating him as little else could.

Link leaned back enough that he had space to speak, his eyes locking with Sidon's. _'I cannot promise I will stay, but I can promise you that I'll return to you. I'll visit sooner, and I'll extend my visits. I want to come home to you.'_

Sidon pressed his crest against Link's forehead tenderly, his eyes slipping shut. The smaller man sank against him, his arms tangling around Sidon's neck. "I will always await your return."


End file.
